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ROTTERDAM
E-mail suggests CDTA wants to cut bus route
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.

    Changes to the Capital District Transportation Authority’s routes could leave Rotterdam’s Hamburg Street area without bus service, according to an internal e-mail circulated among Town Board members.
    The memo from Deputy Supervisor Robert Godlewski suggests CDTA plans are in the works to eliminate the bus route on Hamburg Street. Though the line isn’t named in the e-mail, CDTA only operates the 53 Route to the Hamburg Street area.
    Godlewski encouraged CDTA to discuss the proposed changes with the various constituent groups that might be affected by the change. These include the Hamburg Street Merchants Association, the Rotterdam Senior Center and the Rotterdam Business Association.
    “Per my discussion with [planner] Ross Farrell, of CDTA, yesterday it appears they have already decided to close this run,” Godlewski wrote in an e-mail circulated last week. “I expressed my dissatisfaction with their action before they had input from these groups or the Town Board.”
    Calls placed to Godlewski and Farrell Tuesday were not returned. However, CDTA spokeswoman Margo Janack rejected the notion that any decisions had been reached regarding bus service in Rotterdam. ....................>>>>...........................>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00800&AppName=1

Perhaps there just aren't enough people that use the bus on Hamburg Street to warrant their service.  I wonder how FDG feels about this? The residents wonder how FDG feels about ANYTHING!

I guess 'no change' forgot that FDG was elected supervisor....not him. Can someone remind him?

Word has it that there is a public meeting at Rotterdam's town hall tonight that CDTA is supposed to have, I guess this is the meeting that is normally held at the library in downtown but must have been changed. But we also heard that buses wouldn't be going downtown anymore, they would turn around at Nott Terrace except for the bus that goes between Albany and Schenectady downtown.

But when you think of it, this bus goes altamont ave and then Hamburg st to get back to State st.  Now, what is the logic if it goes down Altamont to Curry, then turns around in, say, Price Chopper parking lot, and them comes back down Altamont Ave?  If the bus goes from State St down Altamont, it still needs to come back to State St.  What would be the reason for it to turn around on altamont to go back to State when it can go down Hamburg and provide service to that side?  When we had something installed in the car (or on it, can't remember), it had to stay the night, I caught that bus, they use small buses so as to not have a bus half empty.  This bus was almost standing room only, until a couple women put their kids on their laps.  And I saw probably about half the bus empty out on Hamburg St on various locations

Working together works.

Nothing against Justin, we've had several good conversations in the past, but I'm glad it's not JUST the residents who have to wait to get answers to their questions.  Maybe we should ask Justin to submit an article which would just be a list of questions for the board.  That way they have them in writing.  

If the route is not profitable it should be ended. It's about time the old hacks on CDTA started to think about profitability. They should concentrate on the 55 Central Avenue-State St route and other feeder routes.

     Sick and tired of seeing buses with one rider-the driver. Some of these routes are laughable. We need to get politicians out and traffic engineers in. We cannot continue to afford a bus system that losses millions each year.

Quoted Text

“Per my discussion with [planner] Ross Farrell, of CDTA, yesterday it appears they have already decided to close this run,” Godlewski wrote in an e-mail circulated last week. “I expressed my dissatisfaction with their action before they had input from these groups or the Town Board.”

Autonomous rule.  DelGallo is out.  Godlewski is the de facto ruler of Rotterdam.

As for Fran, he is the new Waldo of "Where's Waldo?".

The imminent battle between Godlewski and Marco will be fun to observe.  I feel badly for Matt Martin who is, no doubt,
wondering what he got himself into.  His political future is all but over after being associated with this pack of jackals.

Our town is in peril.  IMHO.  How many days until the next election for Town Board?  Are there any good candidates
who are untainted by a history with those in the two tired political camps?

Senders for Town Supervisor!

Why is Bob God the only 1 involved here? Isn't FDG supervisor? Isn't Matt Martin chair of the  committee  dealing with senior citizens?  Don't seniors take the bus? Shouldn't he be involved? What about Ms. DiLeva, I'm guessing single mothers use the bus and I'm sure she'd have insight and compassion towards those needs. We didn't elect Bob anything more than an equal member of a  5 person board. It's time he realizes this and acts like it! Ms. DiLeva at the last meeting said she didn't have all the answers but when she becomes more informed she will be speaking more with the public. Is Bob God purposely keeping info fromher and the others to retain his role as Rotterdam dictator?

I would have to guess that if CDTA decides that it wants to cut the Hamburg St. bus route, it's because it isn't profitable. Common sense would see it that if there was money to be made, it would be a no brainer but to continue. How many people in this area actually ride buses these days? I haven't seen even a half full bus in years. Not locally any way. Buses used for transportation, as we know it today, will become a thing of the past. This means of transportation has become too costly.

I would suggest they use much smaller buses. They would be cheaper to operate. Obviously they are not filling up these larger ones.

Quoted from benny salami

If the route is not profitable it should be ended. It's about time the old hacks on CDTA started to think about profitability. They should concentrate on the 55 Central Avenue-State St route and other feeder routes.

     Sick and tired of seeing buses with one rider-the driver. Some of these routes are laughable. We need to get politicians out and traffic engineers in. We cannot continue to afford a bus system that losses millions each year.

Beenny, what is a feeder route?  A road that feeds into State Street, i.e., Hamburg St feeds into State. St.   What I understand they want to do is have bus routes that none run parallel to State St.  That doesn't make sense because manyh of the main throughfares are parallel to State St.  Crane St runs paralle to State St.  Broadway would be a feeder and the next street would be probably Altamont Ave.  Now, if you live in Mt Pleasant, how do you get to Broadway or Altamont without a bus?   Another one is Eastern Ave.  The bus goes McClellan and turns on to Eastern and goes down to Nott Terrace.  Do you have any idea how long of a walk it is when the eliminate say Eastern Ave because it's parallel to State.  Try walking to McClellan or Nott from strets off Eastern.   Try doing this in 20 below, our pouring rain, terrible wind, 2 ft of snow or 95 heat.

The question is, how do people who live along Hamburg St, get to their place of work?  Or, how to people who work on Hamburg and take a bus get to work?

Quoted from mikechristine1

The question is, how do people who live along Hamburg St, get to their place of work?  Or, how to people who work on Hamburg and take a bus get to work?

Silly ... this is Schenectady. "Work" in this county constitutes a deposit to your benefit card once a month.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Beenny, what is a feeder route?  A road that feeds into State Street, i.e., Hamburg St feeds into State. St.   What I understand they want to do is have bus routes that none run parallel to State St.  That doesn't make sense because manyh of the main throughfares are parallel to State St.  Crane St runs paralle to State St.  Broadway would be a feeder and the next street would be probably Altamont Ave.  Now, if you live in Mt Pleasant, how do you get to Broadway or Altamont without a bus?   Another one is Eastern Ave.  The bus goes McClellan and turns on to Eastern and goes down to Nott Terrace.  Do you have any idea how long of a walk it is when the eliminate say Eastern Ave because it's parallel to State.  Try walking to McClellan or Nott from strets off Eastern.   Try doing this in 20 below, our pouring rain, terrible wind, 2 ft of snow or 95 heat.

The question is, how do people who live along Hamburg St, get to their place of work?  Or, how to people who work on Hamburg and take a bus get to work?

How many folks take the bus to work from Hamburg St.......???? there sure as hell aren't any sidewalks or nice shopping to COME to via bus....
I'm thinking the closest thing on Altamont Ave that anyone would come to via bus (because they have to) is the St.Pete's clinic or maybe the hotel.....
otherwise the rest of us who live around here walk or take our cars.....if there is nothing for a bus to come to why waste the money.....cheesy planning and standards?

Quoted from black spidey

Why is Bob God the only 1 involved here? Isn't FDG supervisor? Isn't Matt Martin chair of the  committee  dealing with senior citizens?  Don't seniors take the bus? Shouldn't he be involved? What about Ms. DiLeva, I'm guessing single mothers use the bus and I'm sure she'd have insight and compassion towards those needs. We didn't elect Bob anything more than an equal member of a  5 person board. It's time he realizes this and acts like it! Ms. DiLeva at the last meeting said she didn't have all the answers but when she becomes more informed she will be speaking more with the public. Is Bob God purposely keeping info fromher and the others to retain his role as Rotterdam dictator?

All good points, spidey. Time will tell!

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ROTTERDAM
CDTA to cut Hamburg St. route
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Operating deficits and a move to improve service along better-utilized bus routes is prompting the Capital District Transportation Authority to eliminate regular service to Hamburg Street.
    This week, CDTA officials outlined an overhaul of their neighborhood routes, including the elimination of the 53 route, a line that now winds along Hamburg Street and Curry Road. Instead, CDTA will operate four routes that connect major neighborhoods in the town with popular destinations in the town and Schenectady.
    In making the changes, CDTA planner Ross Farrell said the authority was faced with making some tough choices to stave off a burgeoning operating defi - cit. He said ridership in Schenectady County dropped from 15.3 million people in 2008-09 to 13.8 million in 2009-10.
    “What we’re trying to do with the neighborhood routes is restructure them in a way where there is a netzero cost,” he said during the Rotterdam Town Board meeting Wednesday. “We need to start to structure our system to areas where there’s the highest potential for riders.”
    The four new routes through Rotterdam will run later in the evening. Farrell said buses should run until 10 p.m. or later, as opposed to the service now, which ends around 6 p.m.
    He acknowledged that the decision to cut the 53 route wouldn’t be popular with all riders. However, he said the authority needed to take steps to help improve its financial situation as a multimillion-dollar deficit looms. ...............>>>>.....................>>>>..........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00904&AppName=1

shame on Rotterdam for not making an effort here.....shame shame shame.......let the locust and rust and decay go on.....the east end WILL spread West.......